The Federal Government has postponed the fourth evacuation flight scheduled to bring stranded Nigerians home from South Africa after cracks were discovered on the cockpit windscreen of the aircraft assigned for the operation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Air Peace aircraft was unable to depart Johannesburg after the defect was detected during safety checks, prompting the airline to suspend the flight in line with standard aviation safety procedures.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said passenger safety remained paramount, adding that Air Peace had already made arrangements to deploy a replacement aircraft to complete the evacuation.
“We have a situation in Johannesburg, South Africa, regarding the operation of the fourth evacuation flight. The flight couldn’t take off because cracks were discovered on the windscreen in the cockpit. Air Peace will deploy another aircraft to South Africa later today to bring the returnees. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience,” Ebienfa said.
The delay affects the latest phase of the Federal Government’s evacuation programme for Nigerians seeking to return from South Africa amid renewed xenophobic attacks and worsening security concerns.
The government had earlier extended the evacuation exercise beyond its initial deadline to accommodate more citizens requesting assistance, with three flights already completed before the latest disruption.
Officials said the replacement aircraft is expected to depart later on Wednesday to ensure the affected passengers are returned to Nigeria as soon as possible, stressing that the postponement was solely due to safety considerations.
